At the end of last month, the data were at the center of the fine that the Privacy Guarantor presented to the famous Milanese university of Bocconi for € 200,000 due to irregularities found in the processing of sensitive data of its students.
The main accusations made against the Milanese university were that it used two proctoring software - that is, artificial intelligence tools to control the correctness of exams and questions during online teaching in a rather invasive way - of the American "Respondus Inc" in a non-compliant manner, but above all the failure to comply with the fundamental obligations of transparency and data collection. The consent to the information drawn up by the university that the students provided before each test, in fact, did not mention the precise timing of the retention of personal data or that the latter would then be moved to the US to the software companies.
Although the Guarantor has specified that the processing carried out by Respounds is technical and specific to a physical characteristic of the affected ones, there was still a management and manipulation of the students' biometric data through an algorithm. This invasive intervention requires more than the consent provided by the students as it does not represent “a manifestation of free will due to the imbalance of the students' position with respect to the data controller”.
Even from this brief summary it is possible to understand how biometric and sensitive data, but to a greater extent all the data we provide online, have within them an importance and a strategic value from many points of view, from the legal one - as in the case just highlighted - to the economic one passing also, and in some ways above all, to that of marketing.
In the digital era in which we now live, the data play a central role both on the consumer side - as we have just seen - and on the advertisers side: for the latter it is of fundamental importance not only to know their audience but also to create and define optimized content and as targeted as possible - in other words knowing how, when and where to strike.
To achieve this double goal, that is not to run into risks of any kind and at the same time maximize results, the most effective solution is to rely on a company that is expert in the sector and which respects these fundamental guidelines:
- Prepare specific and timely information on the processing of personal data.
- Base the marketing campaign on consent and request separate consent for each purpose and with dedicated flags.
- Indicate the retention time of personal data in a clear and precise manner, as well as the methods for revoking consent.
- A segmented, efficient database and a well-defined structure that can not only keep data safe but also select and extract them transparently whenever there is a reason.
In conclusion, therefore, awareness of the value and intrinsic power of data is essential if you want, on the one hand, to be competitive in today's marketing world with top results and on the other hand be present in a widespread and timely manner.
E-Business Consulting is a marketing agency active since 2003 to provide support and advice for all lead generation and CRM activities and management of your data. Contact us for a free quote!
